Growing Up
by HeartofInk22500
Summary: What if Glinda wasn't Elphaba's first friend. A certain boy from Munchkin land grew up a few doors down- why not him? Just a little idea I had if Boq and Elphaba were best friends growing up. I may turn it into a multichapter later on, but for now it's a one-shot. Rated T in case I decide to continue it.


**Just a little oneshot about Boq and Elphaba—how I think it should have been with them growing up. Just supposed to be friendship fluff because I'm bored.**

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"Eww, she's _green_!"

The six year old Munchkin looked up from his drawing, his eyes landing on the little emerald skinned girl. Of course he knew who she was—her name was Elphaba Thropp, the eldest daughter of the governor. She was only a year younger than him, but no one could have guessed that at first. The little girl was wise beyond her years, and she wasn't very short like the rest of the residents in Munchkinland. No, even at her young age she had four inches on him, but yet she never came off as scary.

Only when she would get angry did people become afraid of her.

"I know," he stated plainly, not wanting to hear them badger her more.

"But Boq, she's _green_ of all colors! Like an artichoke! It's disgusting!"

Boq slammed his drawing pad onto the ground, standing up as tall as he could—which although it wasn't much, he was still taller than Dren. "So? She's special!" he protested. Although he was shocked at first by her skin color, it didn't bother him much anymore. He had seen the other kids trying to drop her into the river, and through all the screaming and struggling he heard the green girl shout out one thing—

_"I can't swim!"_

No one had time to react as a blast of green shoved everyone away, and Elphaba wound up falling into the water she was so afraid of. To say the magic outburst startled Boq was an understatement, but once he regained his senses he found himself pulling the little girl out of the water. He had only guided her a few steps away from the river before she broke down and cried, clinging to his vest as he tried to calm her down. Her father—Frexspar Thropp—had raced outside shortly after the whole ordeal. Boq figured he was going to tell the children not to harass his daughter. _But no_. He started scolding Elphaba for her outburst, calling her ugly words that made the girl cry harder. Then he stormed off, gripping her by the arm and dragging her back to the mansion.

Boq didn't like it—so he went over to Elphaba's house later and used his six year old charm to get inside, rushing up to the green girl as they spent hours playing. It was the first time he saw her smile—her adorable, gap toothed smile. She was his friend—his favorite one at that.

"It's _ugly_!"

"No she's not!" He knew very well that the _it_ wasn't referring to the green—no, people acted like Elphaba wasn't even a person. They treated her like a thing—_like an it._

Boq didn't wait for a response, he merely trudged over to the green girl, sitting down next to her as she read her book. She didn't look up until the Munchkin boy cleared his throat. "Boq," she chirped, wrapping her tiny arms around him. The boy smiled, "Hi, Ella!"

He nicknamed her Ella when he realized that she was only ever called three things—Elphaba, Artichoke, and _it_. Boq didn't like that, so he gave her a name created by adoration, not scorn.

"What'cha reading?"

"Oliver Twist!" And there it was—her cute little smile. Boq found it to be contagious every time—every single time he saw that rare smile he found himself grinning like an idiot. "Never heard of it."

The girl shrugged, "Neither have I, but it was in the library and Papa said I could have a book to read if I promised to leave him and Nessa alone for the day."

"A whole day? That's mean…"

"Well, he said until I finished the book, but same thing, right?"

Boq chuckled, "Yup, I suppose so…"

Elphaba flipped the page, adjusting her glasses on the bridge of her nose. She in a way resembled her sister—tragically beautiful Nessarose—but Boq had always preferred Elphaba over her sister. She never stood up for the green girl—she acted just as cold and bitter as Frex did. So Boq had taken it upon himself to be her brother—he protected her from the nasty words of the other children, and he showed her that she was special.

She didn't always believe him—but that never stopped him from trying.

"Boq?"

"Yeah?"

"Friend forever, right?"

"No," he corrected, "_best_ friends forever."

Chocolate brown eyes lit up like stars and green arms wrapped around him again. Boq returned the gesture without hesitation. Strange as she was on the outside—she was one of the greatest friends on the inside. She had a heart of gold and a gentle personality to those she let in.

Boq was just lucky enough to be accepted by her.

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**This may become a multi-chapter thing of them growing up, but IDK yet.**


End file.
